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Former slugger Majewski returns to Revs

JOHN WALK, @YorkSportsGuy

Posted:
06/28/2013 01:45:07 PM EDT

Updated:
06/28/2013 01:45:56 PM EDT

The conversation began about a month ago. York Revolution manager Mark Mason was in need of an outfielder. So he asked former Rev Val Majewski, who is working full-time for an insurance company, if he'd be willing to return to the game once more.

"I asked him to come back about a month ago," Mason said. "He debated it and he declined."

Then Revs' outfielder James Shanks pulled something in his left hamstring in the series finale at Sugar Land on Thursday night. In need of an outfielder, Mason called Majewski soon after the game, which York lost in walk-off fashion, 12-11, in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"I told him 'I need somebody for a few days here.' He agreed to come up and play for the weekend," Mason said. "And that's basically all it's gonna be. He's not sticking around unless he's gonna surprise me when he gets there (to York)."

Majewski is expected to be in uniform for the Revs this weekend in a the three-game series at Lancaster, which wraps up the first half of the 2013 season for both clubs.

At this point in the year, the chances of getting picked up by a major league organization are becoming slimmer by the day. It's something Majewski, who batted plus-.300 with the Texas Rangers' Class AAA affiliate the last two years, understands.

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"It's purely I want to come back and help out the club," Majewski said by phone Friday afternoon while driving up to York from his Maryland home. "They have a need for a guy. The dream (of playing in the majors) isn't ever completely over. But I'm also realistic."

Majewski, 32, played nine games in the big leagues in 2004 with the Baltimore Orioles, going 2-for-13 (.154) with an RBI and three runs scored. He returns to the Atlantic League for the fifth time in his career. He last played in the Atlantic League in 2011, when he held a .317 average with 11 homers and 48 RBIs in 71 games for York before getting picked up by the Rangers. He returned to York later that year for the playoffs, helping the Revs win their second-consecutive Atlantic League title.

Originally from New Jersey, Majewski has been working full-time as an insurance salesman for IHC Financial Group, selling "everything except home and car insurance."

"That's what I want to do (when I'm done playing). It's a good career path for me," he said. "The people I work with are awesome. The toughest part is finding something you like to do with people who are good work with, and I have both."

Majewski admits he might be a little rusty this weekend, but it's worth noting he said the same thing when he was in York two months ago playing for an Atlantic League alumni team that faced the Revs' as part of their 2013 Fan Fest exhibition at Sovereign Bank Stadium. Majewski gave the alumni team its only lead of the game with an RBI double off of a Brett Tomko changeup in the first inning.

"I've been in shape physically. Baseball shape is a totally different animal," Majewski said. "We'll see how it goes. I'm excited to put on the uniform again. It'll definitely be fun."

The 6-foot, 1-inch outfielder won't be alone, either as he's traveling with his wife and their four-year-old son and six-month-old daughter.

"They're gonna come up tonight," he said. "My son asked me a bunch of times (this year) 'Daddy, when are you playing baseball again?' That had nothing to sway my answer. But once he found out, he was really excited."

Mason, meanwhile, is still keeping busy working the phones trying to find another outfielder.

"I'm definitely looking for some guys," Mason said. "I'm talking to a lot of guys right now."